1. Field
The present specification generally relates to glass manufacturing apparatuses and, more specifically, to fusion draw machines with particulate removal devices and glass manufacturing apparatuses incorporating the same.
2. Technical Background
Glass substrates are commonly utilized in a variety of consumer electronic devices including smart phones, lap-top computers, LCD displays and similar electronic devices. The quality of the glass substrates used in such devices is important for both the functionality of such devices as well as the aesthetics of such devices. For example, defects and/or flaws present in the glass substrates may interfere with the optical properties of the glass substrates and, as a result, may degrade the performance of the electronic devices in which the glass substrates are employed. Moreover, defects and/or flaws in glass substrates which are visually discernable may adversely impact consumer perception of the electronic device in which the glass substrates are employed.
The source and type of defects in glass substrates may vary. In some instances, defects are introduced into the glass substrates after the glass has been formed into a substrate from molten glass batch materials. For instance, particulate matter that becomes embedded in the surface of the glass substrate as the glass substrate is drawn during manufacture creates defects commonly called onclusions. The onclusions cannot be readily washed off or removed from the glass substrate and, as such, glass substrates with onclusions are discarded as scrap as a quality control measure which decreases production efficiencies and increases production costs.
Accordingly, a need exists for alternative apparatuses for mitigating onclusion defects in glass manufacturing apparatuses.